The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had carried out airstrikes in Doha targeting senior Hamas leaders, after reports of multiple explosions and smoke rising above the Qatari capital.
In a joint statement, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency said: "The air force conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation in Doha."
The statement did not specify the exact location of the strike.
Hamas said six people were killed in an Israeli strike on the group's compound in Doha on Tuesday, including its top negotiator's son and a Qatari security officer.
Three bodyguards and Gaza ceasefire negotiator Khalil al-Hayya's aide and son were all killed in the attack, the group said, affirming "the enemy's failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation".
Reuters reported that several loud blasts were heard in the city, with smoke seen rising over the Katara district of central Doha. Social media footage also showed plumes of smoke hanging over the area following the explosions.
Witnesses in Doha told The New Arab they heard the explosions in a busy area.
Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12, cited security sources as saying that the intended target was Hamas’s leadership.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that the explosions in Doha were part of an attempt to assassinate Hamas officials.
Doha hosts Hamas's political bureau and has long been a key base for the group's leadership in exile.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a "cowardly Israeli assault" that struck residential buildings housing members of Hamas’s political bureau.
Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the strike was a “blatant violation of international law and a grave threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents.”
He stressed that Qatar "will not tolerate reckless Israeli behaviour, the ongoing disruption of regional security, or any act that targets its sovereignty".
The ministry said that security forces, civil defence, and relevant authorities had responded immediately to the incident and that investigations were underway at the highest level.
Speaking to The New Arab, Palestinian journalist and academic Lamis Andoni said the strike showed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to eliminate Hamas’s leadership rather than engage in negotiations.
"Netanyahu is trying to finish the Hamas leadership. He is not in negotiations or a ceasefire or an end to the war," Andoni said. "Just when Qatar was able to get Hamas to agree to that last brokered arrangement, he decided to kill what is left of the leadership."
"He wants to destroy Gaza and is not willing to spare the people of Gaza. I expect more assassination attempts," she added.
International reactions
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli strike as a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar".
Speaking at a media briefing, he said: "We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role in achieving a ceasefire and release of all hostages. I condemn this flagrant violation."
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday slammed Israel's attack on Hamas in Qatar, calling the strike a "criminal act" in a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom's full solidarity with... Qatar and its condemnation of the blatant Israeli attack on the State of Qatar, which constitutes a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms," read a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.
UAE's foreign ministry called the attack on Doha "blatant and cowardly", while Turkey's foreign ministry denounced the attack on Hamas figures in Qatar.
Pope Leo expressed concern on Tuesday for the consequences of Israel’s actions.
"There’s some really serious news right now: Israel’s attack on some Hamas leaders in Qatar. The entire situation is very serious," he said at his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, as quoted by Italy's ANSA news agency.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways said its operations were unaffected by the explosions in Doha.
"Recent incidents in Doha have not affected Qatar Airways’ operations, and no disruptions have occurred. The safety and security of our passengers remain, and will always be, our highest priority," the airline said in a statement.